Citation

Monkhouse SJ, Kelly MD. J. Med. Case Reports 2008; 2(1): 91.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1752-1947-2-91

PMID

18361799

PMCID

PMC2330057

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This case of an airbag-induced thoracic injury and burn, highlights the potential dangers of airbags. It also serves to illustrate that a surface burn which looks small and benign can actually be a surface marker of a more serious injury. Emergency staff need to be aware of the airbag-associated problems after road traffic accidents to facilitate optimum care for the patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year old man was the restrained driver in a frontal collision. The airbag was activated and caused a superficial chest wall burn. Initial chest x-rays were unremarkable but following deterioration in his condition, a computed tomography scan revealed a serious sternal fracture. The location of the fracture was marked on the surface by the burn. CONCLUSION: Airbags can cause significant chest wall injuries and burns. Surface burns at the point of impact should not be dismissed as trivial as the forces involved can cause significant injury. The proposal is that all future cases should have in-depth chest imaging as initial emergency radiographs can be falsely reassuring.

Language: en